How To: Choose the Perfect Lipstick

Enter the lipstick jungle at your own peril, or so it seems. Selecting a lipstick shade that enhances the pout may not be as hard as you think. Follow these simple tips to find the perfect lipstick for a beautiful pucker.

1. Undertones: The best color for lips depends on the skin's undertones, which are the cool or warm colors underneath your skin. Undertones have two classifications: pink and yellow. Women with pink undertones will look best in colors with a complementary base such as blue, according to Dolce Salon & Spa makeup artist Laurel Mahaffey. Yellow undertones are best complimented by mauve and orange-based colors. Mahaffey says to find your complimentary colors, look on a color wheel for the colors that are exactly opposite of your skin undertones.
2. Seasons: Lipstick colors, like styles and fashions, are seasonal. During the winter months, skin is generally paler and better suited for darker, berry-colored lipstick colors. In springtime, wear flirty pinks and peaches on the lips. “People have natural inclinations to go darker in the winter and lighter in the summer months,” says Mahaffey. “Update your lipstick shades with the seasons, just like you would your closet.”
3. Reds: Wearing red lipstick is an art. When applied correctly, the scarlet prune will mirror glamorous movie stars like Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor. When done incorrectly, it can look like a little girl who had fun playing in her mother’s makeup drawer. The trick is finding a red made with a base color that compliments the skin's undertones. “People think they can’t wear red but really, anyone can,” Mahaffey says. “[People] think that because they aren’t used to wearing it. You just have to find a color made from your best base colors.” A stylist or makeup artist can assist with selecting a shade made of the right base colors. Apply and confidently pucker for a crimson kiss.
4. Complements earn Compliments: Wear a color that not only compliments skin color, but also your outfit and makeup. When wearing dramatic eye makeup, opt for a neutral lip color. Add a punch to a au natural look with a bright lipstick. Also consider the setting. The grocery store is not the place for plum-colored lips, unless you regularly shop for produce in an LBD and stilettos. Paired with the right outfit and a little confidence, the right lipstick shade adds final touch.

Now go confidently to the makeup counter and demand to see the all the shades that compliment the skin's undertones. All it takes is the right lipstick to turn that sourpuss into an alluring smile.

Contact the reporter at lauren.gambino@asu.edu

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